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Kalkriese is a small village just to the north of Osnabruck in Germany. It is the site of an infamous battle where the Roman legions were routed by a combination of Germanic tribes. The Roman who oversaw the massacre was called Publius Quinctillius Varus, and now the battle bears his name “Varusschlacht”, or The Varus Battle. The Romans underestimated the Germanic tribes and fell into a prepared ambush along a narrow path between a heavy wood and swampy ground. It is recorded as one of the most bloody slaughters of the time, all the more exceptional as it was usually the legions doing the slaughtering. The setting is very impressive, with the observation tower being a particular highlight. The museum is housed in a new building with the tower attached. The archaelogical site spreads out before you and there are information plaques explaining what you can see. A small gripe for us was the level of English around the place. This may sound like a “Johnny Foreigner” rant, but there are reasons for it. The battlefield was long lost and was only discovered in the 1980s by an Englishman. Even this shouldn’t be a gripe, but to compound it, the beginning of the tour round the museum has more or less equal German and English translations, but the further you go, the less they become available. It would have made the day much more enjoyable with just a little more English, or even a leaflet to guide you. The outdoor bar and chippy was very pleasant though. The major plus of the day was if we had never made the trip we would never have gone to Munster - the land of beautiful women and free beer. I plan to retire to this paradise. The website for The Varusslacht Museum and Park is: http://www.kalkriese-varusschlacht.de/englisch/start_eng.html |
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